If the ceasefire doesn’t happen today, we’re expecting the war to continue and as I’m speaking right now, we can hear the sound of artillery.

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CEASEFIRE BEGINS

late news/ Hamas names prisoners/

Children play with fireworks on the rubble of destroyed buildings in Bureij – but Israel resumes bombing after ceasefire hour..[Eyad Baba/AFP

The way Hamas and its elements on the ground communicate is not conventional. It’s not anyone picking up the phone and deciding where to go or where to find someone. It’s much more complex and with drones deployed in the skies of the Gaza Strip and with fighter jets, movements become very, very hindered and very restricted..

This could be the technical reasons Hamas is referring to, that it’s not moving freely and it will take time to get the list because as of now, nobody knows where the hostages or the captives are at, and it will take time.

And the past three days have been quite intense in terms of bombardment in terms of the drones deployed in skies..

Now imagine a mechanism that involves going on the ground, particularly if you are on a list, if you are wanted, if you are a member of the fighting groups and you are moving based on instructions, a chain of messengers moving messages and communicating on the ground. It takes a long time.

It takes also a great deal of caution as well as of diligence to avoid being harmed.

We have captives everywhere and it doesn’t surprise me if there are some of them are in northern Gaza or Gaza City or central area or the Rafah city. Nobody knows the exact location.

And the 15 months of devastation and the ongoing attacks technically prevented anyone from the top of the pyramid in the leadership to the grassroots the ground from communicating properly and locating exactly each one of these captives about their whereabouts, about their safety.

15m ago

 (06:25 GMT)

The moment the Israel-Hamas truce was to take effect

It is now 8:30am local time (06:30GMT) in Israel and Palestine.

This is the moment that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was supposed to take effect in Gaza.

But as we’ve been reporting, the Israeli prime minister has said the truce will not happen unless Hamas hands over the names of the captives it will be releasing later today.

Hamas has blamed technical reasons for the delay, but said it remains committed to the terms of the truce.

Images of Israeli captives, who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, hang from a tree at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 17, 2025 [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

14m ago

 (06:25 GMT)

Will the ceasefire still go ahead?

• Stefanie Dekker

Reporting from Amman, Jordan

The Israeli prime minister had already alluded to this last night.

Under the agreement, Hamas needs to give the names of the captives it will release today. It should have done that 24 hours before the captives were to be released. So, essentially yesterday.

And that hasn’t happened.

So, now we have confirmation from the Israeli PM’s office, basically telling the army that the ceasefire will not go ahead – and that is due to start in the coming minutes – unless they get the names from Hamas.

The Palestinian group has also issued a statement saying this is due to technical reasons.

What does that mean? Well, Hamas doesn’t communicate with a phone call, obviously. They use messengers. And they are very much aware of surveillance, even though under this agreement, Israel should stop surveillance for 12 hours so that Hamas can move the captives inside Gaza to the border and hand them over.

So, putting this into context, there’s so much international pressure on both sides that it is very difficult to see how this ceasefire would not go ahead.

Will there be delays? Potentially at this point in time.

I’m pretty sure that Qatar will be putting incredible pressure on Hamas if indeed these names have not been handed over to do so. We’ll have to wait to see what happens next.

25m ago

 (06:15 GMT)

Israeli military restricts movements in Gaza

The military has issued a statement, renewing its warnings to Gaza residents, warning them not to approach its forces until further notice.

Here’s what the statement says:

• We warn residents against approaching the Netzarim axis in light of the forces’ current operations.
• You must not approach the area of ​​ the Rafah crossing, the Philadelphi Corridor, and all areas where the army is deployed.
• Fishing or swimming is prohibited along the coast of the Gaza Strip, and you must not enter the sea in the coming days.
• It is forbidden to approach Israeli territory and the buffer zone or move from the south to the north through the Gaza valley to avoid exposing yourself to danger.

40m ago

 (06:00 GMT)

Mixed feelings in Gaza as ceasefire set to take effect

• Hani Mahmoud

Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Gaza

It’s the first time in 15 months that the skies above me right here in the central area and across the Gaza Strip are relatively quiet, but we know the scars of the war are still fresh, and the challenges to recovery are quite immense.

The feelings here are quite mixed. People are showing a sense of excitement and happiness.

We are minutes away from the ceasefire taking effect. However, we know people will not be able to go back to their homes until seven days from the time it takes effect, meaning they will have to stay where they are.

Movement is quite restricted and limited as per the instructions the Israeli military put out, along with a map that has been circulating for the past 24 hours, warning people not to get close to where soldiers are deployed, including the Netzarim junction and the Philadelphi Corridor.

People are looking forward to returning to their homes in the northern part of Gaza City. They are also looking forward to mourning their loved ones properly, especially those who were killed and whom they were unable to reach in the past few months.

There is agony as well, as many sole survivors don’t have any of their family members left to celebrate with them at this particular moment.

Throughout the night, the Israeli drones kept buzzing, causing psychological trauma and disconnecting them from the feeling that there is a ceasefire that is going to happen.

The Israeli military also carried out strikes in Khan Younis, targeting many areas as well as in the north.

42m ago

 (05:58 GMT)

Hamas cites technical reasons for delay in naming captives

The Palestinian group has issued a statement on Telegram, reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

It said the delay in handing over the names of the captives to be released in the first phase is due to “technical and field reasons” on the ground.

We’ll bring you more on this as soon as we have it.

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53m ago

 (05:46 GMT)

Netanyahu says ceasefire won’t begin until Hamas names captives to be freed: Report

Israel’s Ynet News is reporting that the prime minister has told the Israeli military that the ceasefire, which is to begin at 8:30am local time, will “not begin until Israel has the list of released hostages, which Hamas has pledged to provide”.

The outlet did not provide additional details.

The report comes after Israeli media said Hamas is yet to provide the names of the three female captives it is supposed to release today.

Earlier, Ynet News, citing an unnamed Hamas source, said the Palestinian group is blaming the delay on technical reasons.

The source told Ynet that Hamas members communicate “physically via emissaries and it takes time to agree on the names and the location of the hostages when [Israeli military] planes are still above them”.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas.